Top Stories of 2007

Friday

Dec 28, 2007 at 12:16 AMDec 28, 2007 at 3:37 PM

When we asked you to choose the we knew it wouldn't be easy. The year saw scandals in schools and the General Assembly, controversial decisions by our elected leaders and a number of notable tragedies and triumphs. Nevertheless, the votes are in and tallied. Today, we'll starting counting off the stories, starting with Nos. 8, 9 and 10 and continuing with three more on Saturday and Sunday. The No. 1 story will appear in the New Year's Eve edition of the Star-News.To view the full list so far, along with links to more stories, photos and multimedia packages on the issues, go to www.StarNewsOnline.com/topten.

10: Wilmington digs into sewer woesThe issue: Wilmington's leaky sewer system is in the midst of an overhaul, based on a schedule the city worked out with state environmental regulators. The agreement, finalized in September, forces the city to complete about $5 million worth of repairs on the Northeast Interceptor by June 30 or face penalties of at least $1,000 per day. The agreement culminated a year's worth of back and forth between the city and the state that saw moratoriums come and go and different schemes floated to divert sewage from trouble spots.What's new: As anyone who travels on Pine Grove Road knows, the city is proceeding with the interceptor repair projects and expects to finish in early 2008. The development community is likely counting down the days until the projects are done, since a state-imposed sewer moratorium and building permit caps have caused projects across the county to slow to a crawl.What's next: While the interceptor repairs are first priority, city officials have a number of plans to improve the sewer system beyond that. Plans include building a redundant interceptor toward the Northside treatment plant and conducting an overhaul of the aging pipes beneath the streets of downtown.- Chris Mazzolini

9: Dre's dream doesn't surviveThe issue: Wilmington native Dre "Dreamz" Herd overcame poverty on the streets to be a cheerleading coach and then found his way onto national television as a contestant on Survivor: Fiji. Although his uncouth behavior and outright lies turned many against him, Herd finagled his way to a second-place tie, winning $100,000 and a Ford F-350.What's new: On May 23, soon after the cameras stopped rolling, Herd was slapped with a paternity lawsuit in New Hanover County Superior Court. Amanda S. Young wanted child support and medical expense reimbursements relating to a baby boy born on Nov. 30. The request was later dismissed and "resolved in a collateral action," according to court papers.What's next: Who knows? CBS public relations said even they have a hard time catching up with Herd. An interview request sent to Herd's e-mail address was not returned. Also, the telephone number to the house listed as his residence on court papers is disconnected.- Amy Hotz

8: Brunswick Sheriff Hewett faces grand juryThe issue: Brunswick County Sheriff Ronald Hewett and the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office have been the subject of a federal grand jury hearing and investigation since June 7, when the sheriff's office received a subpoena for seven years' worth of documents relating to the sheriff's campaign and personnel and finance records of 36 relevant parties. The documents were delivered for the grand jury's meeting that month, and witnesses from Brunswick County appeared to testify at subsequent meetings. Because grand jury proceedings are secret, and no witnesses have publicly discussed their testimony, the focus of the investigation remains unclear.What's new: The grand jury usually meets the third week of each month. Court papers have offered no new information.What's next: Court records will show if an indictment is issued. Otherwise, the public will not know details of the State Bureau of Investigation's probe into the sheriff's office.- Shannan Bowen

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